Benefits of Dual Channel Ram

[rsc21]

I've got four DIMM slots and at the moment I have 512MB DDR 3200, bur I'm thinking of getting 2 1GB sticks, is it worth getting rid of the 512MB and having two 1GB in dual channel mode or should I also use the 512MB?

My PC usually runs out of resources and I definatly need more RAM but is dual channel going to make a big difference?

CPU is an AMD 2800+.

 

[muckshifter]

I've got four DIMM slots and at the moment I have 512MB DDR 3200, bur I'm thinking of getting 2 1GB sticks, is it worth getting rid of the 512MB and having two 1GB in dual channel mode or should I also use the 512MB?

My PC usually runs out of resources and I definatly need more RAM but is dual channel going to make a big difference?

CPU is an AMD 2800+.

Yes, it does make a difference, not a great deal, but you will/can notice it.

Two sticks in dual channel mode recommended, sell on the 512 or keep it for diagnostics if anything goes wrong.



oh, and there is no such thing as "dual channel RAM" ... it's just a pair of well matched sticks of memory.

 

[AbsoluteKevster]

Dual Channel RAM performs much better.
Explanation -> http://www.devhardware.com/c/a/Memory/Dual-Channel/1/

Also - get the best you can afford!